Miracle Story

"So we´ve been teaching this lady who use to be a nun for almost 40 years. . . We had taught her everything, and shes been to church quite a few times. We worked with her for a long time and she just wasn´t progressing. She hadn´t recieved a response about our church yet, and she wasn´t wanting to move religion. She lives super far from our house and doesn´t have a telefone. We havn´t taught her for about two weeks and we were planning on cutting her from our teaching group. Well every week we have a planning session anda t the beginning we always say a prayer and pray for all o four investigators by name. Well these prayers are epoc, they seriously last for at least 15 mins. I was having a hard time concentrating and zoned out a little we were almost at the end of the prayer when my comp prayed for this woman, Marly. When he said her name it was like someong grabbed me and shook me say pay attention, this is important!!!!!!!!!!!111 It was really weird, I just knew that she was going to get baptized this week. It was crazy!!!!!!!!!!! After the prayer I told my comp and he said he felt the same thing. It was so random. We passed by her house that night (Friday) but she wasn´t there. Later that night the zone leaders called us and said that pres. had called them and said that there is someone in our zone that needs to be baptized this week. Someone that is ready, that the missionaries aren´t working with or expexting. The next day we went to teach her and she wasn´t there. We prayed for her a lot but things weren´t working out we couldn´t find her!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was Saturday afternoon and we kinda gave up hope. Our lunch fell through which is super rare and we decided to call our zone leaders and ask if we could eat with them in their área. They told us to come on over and eat with the members there. By time we got there their lunch had fallen though as well, so we just made spaghetti. The situation was really really weird, its never happened to me. Well it took a lit longer to eat because we had to make the food and such. After we went to the bus stop to catch our bus. Litterally 2 mins after we got to the bus stop who shows up!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 MARLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 oh my gosh i couldn´t believe it. We were in a whole different city, at a time and day that we are never there. She ran up to us and said she needed to talk to us!!!!!!!!!!!!! We found a few chairs and sat down. She started talking right of the bat she said `` I recieved a response that i cannot deny, I know that this is the church of Jesus Christ, and that it is the only true church on the face of the earth``` oh my gosh, i´ve never seen anything like it. It was such a miracle. She said she wanted to be baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still can´t believe it. I definitly don´t believe in coincidences. She was interviewd for baptism, passed and was baptized Sunday night!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that this is the work of god, that he loves all his children and will do what ever it takes to help them grow unto him!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this work, it truly is a work of miracles."

I LOVE BRAZIL

"Last week we were walking to one of our investigator’s house. My comp stopped me all of the sudden and pointed to the trees. There were like 10 monkeys up there. It was awesome. It was like we were at the zoo……………………but it was real. Hooray!!!!!!!! It was really fun, they were all jumping and playing, crazy monkeys. I love Brazil!!!"

"Elder Quentin L. Cook came to Brasília to have a conference with our mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so amazing. He truly is an apostle of the Lord. He talked a lot about faith, how our faith can really help people gain a testimony, how our faith can help people overcome their addictions and difficulties. It was really neat and got me pumped up. He talked about love, about how it is the base of everything in our lives in this gospel. Needles to say I loved it. We all got to shake his hand. It was really a special experience to be in that intimate of a setting with an apostle of the Lord. I’ll never forget it."

"We are working with 5 brothers that are living together. They work with rocks, (I don’t remember how to say that in English maybe masons but with rocks, I don’t know) they live on the second floor of the rock shop. They are incredible. I’ve never meet people so humble. I love reading the scriptures with them, and listening to them pray. They are not super educated, but the spirit is so strong there. They are all super prepared. Every time we end a lesson we can never choose who gets to pray so we decided that we all say a little prayer. They don’t use fancy language, but when they pray you can feel that they are really praying to our Father in Heaven. It really is a beautiful thing. They are all such an inspiration to me, so sincere and loving. I am truly blessed to bring the light of the gospel into their lives. I love this work. The older brother was baptized this week, and the others will follow his example in the weeks to come. They are some great people!!!!!!!!!!!"

New Companion

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO guess what I`M………………………………. not getting transferred. The Lord still needs me in Lago Sul, and I won´t complain because pretty much the work is awesome here, the food is great, and the people are so generous. BUT I am getting a new comp!!! A Brazilian!!!!! I´ve never meet him but I´m sure he will be so so so so awesome. He name is Elder SATO, that’s pretty much all I know about him. It will help my language so much, i´m super duper excited about that. I know the Lord knows what he is doing as well, which is always comforting right!!!!

The Next Week

I have a Brazilian comp that doesn’t speak English. It is sooo good for my language, its just tooo easy to speak English with an American comp. His name is elder Sato, He has nearly 100 percent Japanese blood, but he doesn´t know a lick of Japanese. He is super young on the mish, this is his 4th transfer. He has only worked in one area and it was super poor, its been a little difficult, to adjust teaching style, scheduling, and just a lot of things that are unique to our area, but its going well and we are learning quickly. Also all Brazil missions have been banned from using bikes, it may change but were stuck without bikes for now. Its been really hard because we have some investigators that live at least an hour away on foot, and its so hard get to their houses. It changes up planning and pretty much everything. So this week pretty much consisted of us being lost not knowing what to do. It was a little rough BUT we learned a ton and I think were getting a hang of things. Hooray. He is really energetic and is a hard worker, Which is one of the most important things in my opinion. He really wants to help me learn and grow, which is awesome.

The language is tough, sometimes I wonder if i´ll ever get a hang of it, then I look back to how much worse my port was 3 week ago and I realize that I actually am making progress!!!!!!!!!! It’s a good feeling. I know that the gift of tongues is real. I am receiving so much help, it is insane.

(This is a bridge in Paul's area that is incredibly beautiful!)

Brasilia!!! Sept. 28, 2008

Elder Rasmussen with his trainer, Elder Holbrook.

Ok I am right in the middle of Brasilia, like probably like 10 minutes away from congress by car. I´m in an area called Lago Sul, and it is ginormous, like huge like so big we have bikes!!!!!!!!!! Isn´t that crazy. Its one of the only areas in brasil that has bikes, crazy. Ok, so Lago Sul is the richest area of Brasilia, it´s where all the diplomats and rich people live, so consequently life half of our ward are American diplomats. It's crazy half the ward speaks English, and the wives of most the diplomats don´t speak English. Our bishop and ward mission leader are both American, crazy huh? We are currently teaching a diplomat from Ghana. He is super cool, and we get to teach him in English. Oh my companion is American, Elder Holbrook, He is great and is teaching me a ton. Its nice to have an American trainer but it will take me a longer lime to learn the language. Ok so everyone has cars in our area and it is hard to make contacts, We are kinda opening the area so that has been an adventure all on its own. The members are very giving and willing to serve, our meals are always very nice. My president is President Pizzirani, he is from Sao Paulo. The language is super hard for me I can't understand anything, I need to have more patience with my self, and have more faith. I´ll get this its just going to take some time.

The MTC in Brazil

Elder Rasmussen sends word that he LOVES the CTM (Missionary Training Center) in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He loves the language, the food, the people, the facility, his companion, learning the culture--everything!! His letters sound so happy, in fact, he says that he has never been happier in his whole life. I think I will let him tell in his own words (from a letter sent Aug. 12, 2008)

"I love it here it is soooooo amazing!!! where to start? The language is going well. I´m learning a ton and I don´t feel too discouraged. It is such a beautiful language. I love the CTM. It is amazing. The food is good most of the time. It gets a little sketchy now and then but oh well. My district is great, there are only 7 of us two of which are sisters. We have a lot of fun together. I love my teachers. They are both brazilian, which is really helpful. They know the language and the culture perfectly and are able to really help us out. I love the brazilian culture already. Everyone here is energetic and has such a strong love for life. They love everything and they are not afraid to show it.They don´t take offense and forgive so easily. They are hillarious!! The have so little but they always offer to give us things. They are such a beautiful people. I´m falling in love with them already. So all of the native brazilian missionaries come here as well so we are pretty much in constant contact with natives. I have 2 brazilian roomates that I completley love. They are so fun. They make me laugh so hard. We got really close (they actually left to go to the field today) I love Preach my gospel. It is such an inspired program. I love teaching with the spirit. It really works. The spirit is so strong here, it´s amazing. My testimony and knowledge have grown sooooo much its insane. We have firesides twice a week that are translated into english or vice versa. I love them it is a really cool experience. My companion is great. His name is Elder Ash. He is from Colorado Springs. We get along great! We have gyn 3 times a week. I usually play volleyball, but I try to run about 5 miles a week. I´ve really enjoyed that. My room is on the top floor(7th) and we arn´t allowed to use the elevator so I get quite a bit of exercise. My view is incredibe I love it. I havn't had too hard of a time with anything. The adjustment has gone well. I haven´t gotten homesick yet which has been a great blessing. I pretty much just love it here a lot. Everything is going very well. Its hard work but I´m loving it. I can´t wait to learn everything so I can get out there in the field.

MTC Address

Paul's address while at the MTC:

Elder Paul L. Rasmussen

Brazil Brasilia Mission

Box # 42 District # 30 A

Rua Padre Antonio D'Angelo 121

Casa Verde, Sao Paulo SP

BRAZIL 02516-040

This address can be used until about Sept. 10.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Paul was to report to the MTC on July 23, but he had to leave on July 22--at 6:00 a.m.!!! Which meant being at the airport at the very early hour of 4:00. He flew from Las Vegas to Miami, Florida. He had a 7 hour layover in Miami, and was supposed to meet up with other missionaries flying to Brazil. The layover was made 2 hours longer with flight delays!!! He did call from Miami to let us know he had made it that far without problem. He landed in Sao Paulo on the morning of July 23--over 24 hours in airplanes and airports!

Leaving home.

We received an e-mail from the Brazil MTC President informing us that Elder Rasmussen has arrived. He has a companion and room and will be well taken care of.

Please remember Paul in your prayers as he learns Portuguese and how to be an effective missionary. We appreciate your support.